JUNE 29: TRANSPORT BLACKOUT, MOST SHOPS CLOSED IN MANZINI

MANZINI – The hustle and bustle synonymous with the hub of the country was dormant, as there was no public transport at the Manzini Bus Rank, which is central to all routes of the kingdom.

As early as 5:45am, the bus rank had only four kombis seeking to load passengers; however, the spark of activity fizzled out at about 7am. Commuters were seen walking into the bus rank during the morning rush- hour, However, in the absence of public transport, some basked in the rising sun to ward-off the cold. Later on, the commuters were seen leaving the bus rank and walking to various spots to hitchhike to their various destinations. At around 7:30am, some public service vehicles were seen ferrying passengers into the hub of the country, through Ngwane Street, despite that kombis only use this route after the rush-hour. Passengers who were aboard these disembarked at the corner of Ngwane and Sandlane streets.

Commuters

On the other hand, some commuters seeking to travel towards Matsapha, were found along the bus stops between Nazarene Traffic Lights and Logoba. They were being transported by a few kombis and buses that were loading them along the MR 3 Manzini – Matsapha Highway. Due to the minimal transport, some workers from the Matsapha Industrial Site, were seen walking to their various places of employment. Meanwhile, between the MR3 Hhelehhele – Manzini Public Road at about 6:30am, there was minimal visibility of public transport and people were seen in bus stops hitch hiking towards the city centre.

On the other hand, at about 8am, there was no visible public transport on the road between Matsapha and Manzini. Most people were seen walking along the public road in and out of Manzini. The lack of transport was the case throughout the day. There was also limited activity within the town, as a majority of businesses were closed, save for some eateries and retail shops which delayed starting their operations. Most clothing retailers did not open for the better part of yesterday. At around 8am, which is the time they normally open, the shops were seen covered with black refuse bags and its doors locked in chains and padlocks. Manzini Mall had most shops closed as well. Similarly, most pharmacies were also not open in most parts of the city. Businesses that were closed included; All Star Ladies and Men’s Fashion, Upward Global Investment, The Hair and Body Shop, as well as Adi Mobile. Those that were open were Clicks, Shoprite, Mr Price and Identity which are situated at the Bhunu Mall. OK Foods, KFC, Galitos and Debonairs were operating, although few customers were seen coming in and out of the eateries.  

A businessman who was found outside his shop, shared that he ordered his shop assistants to return home after observing that there were no customers and that he was not certain about the level of security in town.  He revealed that he lost a lot of profit last year when his wholesale business  was looted and later vandalised. “I also chose not to open because I do not want to witness what happened last year. I had to start all over and recover from the losses incurred without any government assistance. So it is better to prevent that than to cry over spilt milk,” he said.

Meanwhile, an interview with a manager at one of the prominent furniture shops gathered that it had to close and some of its stores in Matsapha and Mbabane as it was deemed unsafe to operate. “We have also noted that there is not much presence of armed security forces, so we decided to close,” he said. On the hand, there were a number of police officers in riot gear in strategic points within the city and its outskirts. The police were inclusive of members of the Criminal Investigations Department (CIDs), Operational Support Services Unit (OSSU) and the Traffic Department. There were roadblocks at Mhlaleni and Moneni throughout the day.

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